Care Home News
Dementia Bus gives carehome.co.uk staff insight into life with dementia
29 Jul 2024
The Dementia Bus has paid a visit to Hungerford, delivering two days of dementia awareness training to staff from the UK’s leading reviews site for care homes and home care. Employees at carehome.co.uk and.....
Find out the top care homes in 2024
01 Mar 2024
carehome.co.uk, the UK’s leading care home reviews site, has revealed the top care homes in the country for 2024. The awards are based on reviews of the care home written by the residents who have experienced.....
Should the Covid vaccine be mandatory for care home workers?
21 Jun 2021
John Godden, chief executive of Salutem Healthcare
YES
In the wake of the government revealing it is to make Covid vaccines compulsory for care home workers in England, John Godden, chief executive of Salutem Healthcare, has said it hasn't gone far enough. He...
Neil Russell, head of PJ CareNO
The government has said that from this October, care home workers will be given four months to have two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, unless they are medically exempt. If they refuse, they will lose their........
Should residents be allowed to smoke in care homes?
09 May 2017
Lynne Rourke, care home manager, Southwood Lodge Reside Care Home in Bournemouth
No
It is up to care homes whether they allow their residents to smoke, with residential settings currently exempt from smoke-free legislation.
However, with a number of recent fires being caused by residents smoking, it is...
Frank Ursell, care home manager and chief executive, Registered Nursing Home AssociationYes
A care home is a resident’s home and we should respect that and allow them to have the same rights as they would have at home. Care homes need to ensure residents are safe but still allow them to smoke.
Frank Ursell argues........
Should care workers call residents 'sweetie' and 'love'?
15 Sep 2015
Stephanie Kirkman Meikle, chief executive, Skills 4 Living Centre
YES
A care home in Harrogate was criticised recently by the Care Quality Commission for using 'patronising' language to its residents who have learning disabilities, with staff referring to them as 'sweetie' and 'love'.
However,...
Adult Social Care Inspector, Care Quality CommissionNO
The CQC inspector criticised the care home staff for its endearments, saying 'However, throughout
our visit we heard staff using terms such as ‘sweetie’, ‘darling’,‘handsome’ and 'love' when speaking to and about people who........
Do you think the Care Cap should be delayed?
23 Jul 2015
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board
YES
The Government has announced it is delaying plans that would have capped pensioners’ care costs to £72,000 until 2020, saying it cannot fund them at the current time.
The £72,000 care cap was due to be implemented in April...
Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of care home provider, AnchorNO
News of the delay was not so warmly received by some in the care sector. Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of Anchor, called it “outrageous” and said: “We’re very disappointed by the announcement from the Department for Health........
Should care homes have CCTV?
01 Oct 2014
Jenny Moore, founder of Your Voice Matters Campaign
YES
"Your Voice Matters is 110 per cent behind the idea of CCTV installation in all care homes.
The police recognised a long time ago that installing CCTV in station cells protected them and those in their custody.
Nurseries...
Des Kelly, executive director of the National Care ForumNO
"The issue of surveillance is one which has been in the news quite a bit recently with families taking the decision that installing hidden cameras in care homes and peoples own homes is the only way to ensure that they are adequately........
Do we need more men working in the care sector?
26 Feb 2014
Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of Anchor
YES
A report published by the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK) and Anchor has called for more men to be recruited into the care sector to tackle a ‘staffing time bomb’ caused by a predicted rise in...
John MacInnes and Jeroen Spijker, researchers at Edinburgh UniversityNO
There is no need to fill the gap in carers with men and older workers as the ‘staffing time bomb’ does not exist, according to researchers from Edinburgh University.
Professor John MacInnes and senior........
Should care staff wear uniforms in care homes?
07 Jan 2014
Janet Rowse, chief executive, Sirona Care & Health
YES
Care staff at Sirona Care and Health wear brightly-coloured uniforms with rainbow collars.
The non-profit company, which runs three care homes in Bath, believes uniforms for staff are a good idea as they can reduce some...
Jeremy Garman, director of sales and marketing, Sunrise Senior LivingNO
Sunrise Senior Living has 27 care homes in the UK. These homes are called ‘communities’ and the different areas within the homes are called ‘neighbourhoods’.
None of the staff wear uniforms as Sunrise believes uniforms........
Has the Government set the threshold too high for the new national care eligibility criteria?
02 Jul 2013
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK
YES
The Government has announced new national eligibility criteria setting out a minimum threshold on who should be offered care and support by local authorities in England.
However charities such as Age UK are concerned that...
Norman Lamb, Care MinisterNO
Care Minister Norman Lamb has said the criteria is being introduced to put an end to the ‘postcode lottery’ because “we know people are often confused about what care they can expect from their local authority and far too many........
Should local authorities ignore anonymous whistleblowers?
14 May 2013
Paul Ridout, Ridout Solicitors
YES
Paul Ridout, a lawyer specialising in health and social care issues, would like to see local authorities ignore anonymous allegations about care home abuse as he believes anonymous whistleblowers are motivated by malice and...
Eileen Chubb, former whistleblower and founder of Compassion in CareNO
Some people make anonymous allegations as relatives can worry that care home staff may take it out on their loved ones if they make an allegation. While staff fear they may lose their job.
Eileen Chubb, who lost her job as........
Should the Care Quality Commission (CQC) run the new official care homes rating system?
03 Apr 2013
Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive at Nuffield Trust
YES
An official care homes rating system looks set to return after a review by the Nuffield Trust found people have been “left in the dark” over the quality of care homes, hospitals and GP practices. The care regulator, the Care...
Frank Ursell, chief executive of the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA)NO
Frank Ursell, chief executive of the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA), supports the proposal of a “well-managed, transparent and consistent ratings system” as a good way of helping the public to assess the quality........
Does the media focus too much on poor care?
05 Mar 2013
Ian Buchan, Independent Age, director of care services
YES – it is making people scared of all care homes
“While bad practice has of course to be exposed - and a spate of recent reports have highlighted that there are problems across most services older people use, in hospitals, care...
Jenny Moore, founder of Your Voice MattersNO - the media plays a vital role in exposing bad practice
“Your Voice Matters is often criticised by defensive care staff for posting negative press. We invite them to name their care home but they refuse. We invited them to........
Should care home owners be criminally liable for abuse and neglect?
04 Feb 2013
Paul Burstow MP, former care minister
YES
Former care minister Paul Burstow MP has proposed new criminal sanctions for care home owners who allow the abuse and neglect of vulnerable patients.
The Liberal Democrat MP has published a report, ‘Care and Corporate Neglect’...
Nadra Ahmed, chairman of the National Care AssociationNO
Nadra Ahmed, chairman of the National Care Association has called on the Government to be cautious in its response to Paul Burstow’s call to make care home owners criminally accountable.
She believes it would be unfair to........
Are older people being let down by their friends and families?
09 Jan 2013
Norman Lamb MP, Care and Support Minister
YES
Minister for Care and Older People Norman Lamb clashed with shadow minister Liz Kendall last week, over comments the Labour MP saw as accusing UK families of neglecting their elderly.
Speaking to The...
Liz Kendall MP, Shadow Care and Support MinisterNO
Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, was scathing towards Mr Lamb’s comments on family responsibility, attacking the Coalition’s record on the ‘care crisis’ and calling for the........
Can personal health budgets work in care homes?
06 Dec 2012
Vidhya Alakeson, deputy chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, research and policy organisation working to improve outcomes for people on low incomes
YES
Thousands of patients in England will soon have access to their own NHS personal health budgets giving them more control over the type of treatment they receive. The scheme is designed to help patients who have complex conditions...
Claudia Wood, deputy director of Demos, a thinktank, which challenges the traditional, 'ivory tower' model of policymaking by giving a voice to people and communitiesNO
Claudia Wood believes the problem with personal health budgets is that by their very definition of ‘personal’, they are most suited “to the purchase of services on an individual basis”.
“Personal Health Budgets will see an........
Should the Government bring back an official, independent rating system for care homes?
01 Nov 2012
Erica Lockhart, chief executive, Surrey Care Association Ltd
YES
“I recall the introduction of the old star rating system and the challenges providers faced in implementing it and then the emotional turmoil it raised when their service fell short.
However by the end, Surrey care providers,...
Sue Brand, managing director, RDB Star Rating LimitedNO
“The benefit of a star rating system both to purchasers of care and care providers has been proved, however I believe the re-introduction of any system should be care sector driven, voluntary, holistic, objective, consistent........
Care home vs home care
04 Oct 2012
Geoff Lane, chief executive, Regal Care Trading Ltd
CARE HOME “It is undoubtedly true that when we reach an age where we need additional help, the vast majority of people would wish to stay in their own home in familiar surroundings. In many instances this works well but the reality...
Lindsey Edgehill, marketing director, Helping HandsHOME CARE “Residential care homes are a crucial part of the UK’s elderly care portfolio and without them the country would not be able to adequately care for its elderly, but it’s important that families understand that alternatives........
Is older people's wealth being fairly utilised to pay for care?
01 Oct 2012
Dot Gibson, National Pensioners Convention, general secretary
YES “This idea that the country’s economy is struggling because an army of millionaire pensioners are joy riding with their free bus passes is absolute nonsense. The economic crisis is being used as an excuse to undermine the welfare...
Stephen Burke, United for All AgesNO: “The wealth held by many (but by no means all) older people should be the starting point to pay for care. It would also be intergenerationally fair compared to general taxation.
“As has been widely documented, the care system........
Should care home providers be forced to have financial health checks to prevent another Southern Cross crisis happening?
02 Aug 2012
Stephen Lowe, social care policy advisor for Age UK
YES
Age UK, has been campaigning for care home providers to have financial health checks for years.
Its policy advisor, Stephen Lowe says: "We favour a regulatory approach and it needs specific financial expertise so Monitor...
Martin Green, chief executive, English Community Care Association (ECCA)NO
"In relation to financial regulation we believe that every business should be able to show it is viable but this is required already by the Audit process and by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) so we do not need extra regulation,"........